This brought me to notice other issues within the music industry. BBC Radio 1 claim to have an audience ranging from 15-29 year olds, does anyone remember when the infamous S&M from Rihanna was plugged into our ears, especially on this radio station, the other year? I hear all the time people moaning about the youth of today; girls getting pregnant and dropping out of college; underage kids drinking and doing drugs; leaving school and going straight onto jobs seekers allowance. Of course this isn’t a recent outbreak in the behavior of younger people but it does seem to be more regular; as does the message within popular music appearing everywhere of ‘living fast and dying young.’ Or ‘you only live once so why not.’
The artists may not be looking to turn a generation into drug addicted alcoholics with the aim to die young and pretty but kids and teenagers are naïve, the self-harming over Justin Bieber is just one example of the extent that they will go to. Take a look at the X Factor and the drama that was caused by Rihanna and Christina Aguilera’s raunchy performances, children younger than 12 watch this television show and yet they’re being exposed to sex, aggression from contestants and events that don’t seem completely moral.
At the bottom of the pit everyone knows, sex sells, so does violence, and pretty young singers. Nobody intentionally puts an indecent image or thought into a young audience’s head. It does raise concerns about what we are subjecting young kids and teenagers to. Perhaps they are growing up a lot quicker and their idols, aware of this are growing with them. Besides, It’s not all bad and explicit in the charts. Gangnam style seems innocent enough right?